LUKE Medlock was an easy choice as man of the match as Paignton defeated Stokeinteignhead by 79 runs in the Brockman Cup final at Torquay.
Paignton posted 129 for four in their 20 overs – led by Medlock with an unbeaten 46.
Noah Wright (34) and Harry Ward (35) got Paignton away to a 65-run start. But Stoke skipper Chris Prestt deployed his bowlers well to slow the scoring rate.
Mark Russell and Jamie Clinkett kept it tight, but the real problems were posed by spinner Sreejith Sankaranarayanan.
Sankaranarayanan’s three for 20 haul from four overs was in danger of becalming Paignton completely.
Medlock got Paignton going again and his stand of 52 with Charlie Ward (10) got a defendable total on the board.
It all started to go wrong for Stoke in their first over, which ended with them two wickets down for one runs on the board.
Paul Russell was run out second ball then Charlie Ward bowled Hugo Longrigg two balls later.
Anthony Thornton-Clarke dug in for the long haul at first wicket down, but lacked any sort of support.
Wickets fell to Sam Woodcock (3-13), Sankaranarayanan and Prestt were run out – and there was no change to be had from the Paignton bowlers.
Luke Medlock bowled four overs – two of them maidens - for five runs and castled Stoke’s Mike Lang. Running out Sankaranarayanan was a bonus.
Young spinner Rory Medlock (2-17) mopped up the Stoke stragglers. Thornton-Clarke finally went for 23 to Woodcock at 45 for eight and the end wasn’t far away then.
Stokeinteignhead were all out for 50 in the 15th of their overs.
It was the lowest total in a final since 1987 when Paignton dismissed Brixham for 47. Other lows in the 85-year history of the competition are 47 (Chelston v Corries, 1969), 49 (Babbacombe v Barton (1961) and 40 (Barton v Chelston, 1951).
The lowest total of them all was posted by Torquay Nomads in 1970, when St Marychurch bowled them out for 29 – Frank Burley taking five wickets and Graham Monk four.
Paignton 129-4 (N Wright 34, H Ward 35, L Medlock 46; S Sankaranarayanan 3-20), Stokeinteignhead 50 (A Thornton-Clarke 23; S Woodcock 3-13, R Medlock 2-17). Paignton bt Stoke by 79 runs.
